This clear antique glass bottle, marked “Mercuric Chloride HgCl₂”, once housed one of the most toxic substances regularly used in early medicine. The bottle features embossed chemical labeling and a cylindrical form typical of dispensary or institutional use in the early 20th century. The absence of a stopper suggests it may have been part of a larger set or has been separated from its original closure over time.

Mercuric chloride, also known as corrosive sublimate, was commonly used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, and even as a treatment for syphilis, long before the era of antibiotics. Though once considered essential in both pharmacy and lab settings, its use declined rapidly as the compound’s extreme toxicity became widely recognized.